Guide to G3 ZIF Upgrades

Updated 2003.05.11

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If you have a Power Mac G3, whether the original beige model or the blue & white one, moving to a faster CPU is as easy as removing the current one and inserting a new on in the zero insertion force (ZIF) socket.

Benchmark scores are MacBench 5 (note that these are roughly 7% lower than MacBench 4 scores). For comparison purposes, the beige Power Mac G3/300 has a CPU score of 1000, the new $1,600 blue & white G3/300 scores 926 (due to a smaller L2 cache), the G3/350 reaches 1145, and the top of the line G3/400 hits 1310.

Be sure to read That extra 10% to help you decide which upgrade provides the best value for you.

The information is as accurate as I can find, but specifications and availability are subject to change; I suggest you check with the manufacturer to verify current models. Prices may be outdated. (Prices are in $US, and no price is listed for discontinued upgrades.) In fact, models are added and discontinued so often, it's impossible to keep track of which models are current.

• Accelerate Your Mac has user reports on various G3 upgrades.
• dealmac tracks special deals on ZIF upgrades.

NOTE: Not all upgrades are compatible with the Blue G3.

Discontinued accelerators are listed for historical reasons.

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Manufacturer

CPU Speed

Cache Size

Cache Speed

MacBench 5.0 rating*

Estimated Street Price

Estimated Value**

metabox joeCARD Z adjustable bus discontinued

500 MHz

1 MB

250 MHz

Newer Technology MAXpowr G3 discontinued

500 MHz

1 MB

250 MHz

phase5 G3 Power Booster discontinued	466 MHz	1 MB	233 MHz
	450 MHz	1 MB	225 MHz
	400 MHz	1 MB	200 MHz

PowerLogix PowerForce ZIF adjustable bus updated 9/11/07	500 MHz	1 MB	250 MHz
	1 GHz	1 MB	1 GHz		$140
	1.1 GHz	1 MB	1.1 GHz

Sonnet Technologies Encore/ZIF discontinued

500 MHz

1 MB

250 MHz

XLR8 MACh Speed G3z adjustable bus discontinued	500 MHz	1 MB	250 MHz
	466 MHz	1 MB	233 MHz
	450 MHz	1 MB	225 MHz
	400 MHz	1 MB	200 MHz	1341		9.00
	366 MHz	1 MB	183 MHz	1228
	333 MHz	1 MB	167 MHz	1117		3.29
	300 MHz	1 MB	200 MHz	1005

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* Processor score from MacWeek or Macworld when possible, but most MacBench ratings are from manufacturers. End user results may vary based on a number of factors including bus speed and OS used.

** Estimated value is MacBench rating divided by price. Higher numbers represent more bang for the buck.

Reviews & Overviews

• Is it worth putting a G3 in an older Mac?, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 11/3/00. As always, it depends, but sometimes a used Power Mac G3 is the better value.
• Macs Only!
• MacWeek and Macworld (use search to find reviews)
• Mac Speed Zone
• Accelerate Your Mac

This page created May 19, 1999 and updated occasionally.

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